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In Brief

The Zuma space shuttle, which was originally set to take off last November, was successfully launched by SpaceX on Sunday, January 7th. The launch also saw the recovery of the Falcon 9's first stage booster.

LEO covers a vast range of altitudes in which other spacecraft reside, including the International Space Station and satellites used for reconnaissance and gathering weather data, so we’re still unable to nail down what the goal of the Zuma mission is.

The launch of the Zuma went smoothly, with the spacecraft taking off from the SLC-40 launch facility at Cape Canaveral. Midway through the process, the first stage booster of the Falcon 9 separated and returned to Earth as intended.

With the Zuma launch now largely out of the way, SpaceX plans to refocus its efforts on the long-awaited launch of the Falcon Heavy — another reusable rocket designed by the aerospace company. After multiple delays, it’s now set to launch in January, also from Cape Canaveral. If the launch is successful, it would be another notch on the SpaceX’s belt, proving that reusable rockets are worth investing in, and that SpaceX is capable of carrying out a wider assortment of missions.